Cell module for a high-voltage battery and method for producing said cell module and use thereof

ABSTRACT

A cell module for a high-voltage battery having round cells polarized on one side and a common cell frame with cell connectors. The cell frame connects the cell connectors in a predefined arrangement. The cell connectors are configured for a low-voltage contact of the round cells. Also described is a method for producing the module, a corresponding use of the module and a corresponding high-voltage battery.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2020 121 878.8, filed Aug. 20, 2020, the content of such application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cell module for a high-voltage battery. The present invention furthermore relates to a corresponding method for producing said module and a corresponding use of said module and also a corresponding high-voltage battery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

EP 2 597 701 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a bipartite battery housing with a printed circuit board secured to the inner area of the first part and with a securing mechanism exposed on the surface thereof.

WO 2020/041585 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a printed circuit board arrangement for electrically connecting the cells of a battery pack for an electric vehicle. The arrangement comprises two types of printed circuit boards, which are connected to the cells in each case by a plurality of fuses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Described herein is a cell module for a high-voltage battery, a corresponding method for producing said module and a corresponding use of said module and also a high-voltage battery comprising such a module.

One advantage of this cell module resides in the flexible linking of the cells for current, voltage and temperature measurement.

The cell module can comprise cell connectors with a double stamped rosette, along which the respective connector is displaced into its envisaged final position in order to compensate for manufacturing tolerances.

Furthermore, the cell frame can be manufactured from an injection molding with pre-embossed cell connector seats and a material application for the double rosette that includes a fusible pin. The process for producing the entire cell module and the battery can be greatly accelerated in this way.

Furthermore, the cell frame and the cell connectors can be shaped complementarily to one another in such a way that said cell connectors in the cell connector seats bear on the round cells and therebetween bear on the cell frame. This embodiment of the flexible cell frame creates a distance for the interconnection of the cells that helps to avoid a short circuit without additional insulation.

Such a cell frame may be assembled independently of the cells and be supplied to production line manufacturing as a complete assembly for joining to the cells. This assembly process in the context of preassembly enables the manufacturing costs of cell module and high-voltage battery to be significantly reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is described in greater detail below.

FIG. 1 shows a round cell polarized on one side.

FIG. 2 shows a cell frame with highlighted low-voltage contact.

FIG. 3 shows a detail 14 of the cell frame in accordance with FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows the insertion of stamped cell connectors into pre-embossed cell connector seats.

FIG. 5 shows the fusible pin fixing on the stamped rosette of a cell connector.

FIG. 6 shows the distance between cell connectors and cells between the cell connector seats.

FIG. 7 shows the cell frame ready for joining to the cells in the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a round cell (11) polarized on one side for a high-voltage battery, not illustrated in its entirety, which can serve as mobile electrical energy storage in the form of a traction or drive battery for driving an electric vehicle.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a cell module (10) according to aspects of the invention comprises a multiplicity of such round cells (11) polarized on one side and a common cell frame (12) with cell connectors composed of copper or aluminum, which are connected by said cell frame in a predefined arrangement in order to enable the low-voltage contact (13) of the round cells (11) as per the illustration. Contact (13) may represent an electrical bus, for example.

The detail illustration in accordance with FIG. 3 illuminates this linking concept more specifically: the cell frame (12—FIG. 2) is configured for a slot-type fusible pin fixing (16) of the cell connectors (15), near which the low-voltage contact (13) marked in FIG. 2 is provided and allows a simple current, voltage and temperature measurement.

The further drawings illuminate the production and use of such a cell module (10):

The stamped cell connectors (15) provided with a stamped rosette (18) are firstly inserted (see step 1 in FIG. 4) into the pre-embossed cell connector seats (17) of the cell frame (12) manufactured from injection molding.

After the insertion step (1), the cell connectors (15) can be displaced as necessary along the stamped rosette (18) into their envisaged final position in order to restrict possible manufacturing tolerances. In this position they are finally secured (see securing step 2 in FIG. 5) by the fusible pin that projects through the stamped rosette (18) being fused to the cell frame (12), such that the fusible pin fixing (16) is able to fix the cell connectors (15) permanently in their cell connector seats (17).

The mutually complementary shaping of cell frame (12) and cell connectors (15) is chosen such that in this installation position current, voltage and temperature can be measured by means of the low-voltage contact (13), while the cell connectors (15) in the cell connector seats (17) bear on the round cells (11), and between the cell connector seats (17) the cell frame (12) nevertheless ensures a sufficient distance 3 shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 shows the resulting assembly that can be provided to production line manufacturing for example as a complete assembly for joining to the cells. 

What is claimed:
 1. A cell module for a high-voltage battery, said cell module comprising round cells polarized on one side, a common cell frame with cell connectors, the cell frame connecting the cell connectors in a predefined arrangement, and wherein the cell connectors are connected to the round cells and are configured as a low-voltage contact for the round cells.
 2. The cell module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell frame is configured for a fusible pin fixing of the cell connectors, and the low-voltage contact is provided near the fusible pin fixing.
 3. The cell module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cell frame has pre-embossed cell connector seats, and the fusible pin fixing fixes the cell connectors in the cell connector seats.
 4. The cell module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cell connectors each have a stamped rosette, and the fusible pin fixing is provided on the stamped rosette.
 5. The cell module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cell connectors are composed of copper or aluminum.
 6. The cell module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cell frame and the cell connectors are shaped complementarily to one another in such a way that (i) the cell connectors in the cell connector seats bear on the round cells and (ii) the portion of the cell connectors between the cell connector seats bears on the cell frame.
 7. In a cell module for a high-voltage battery including round cells polarized on one side, a common cell frame with cell connectors, the cell frame connecting the cell connectors in a predefined arrangement, and wherein the cell connectors are connected to the round cells and are configured as a low-voltage contact for the round cells, wherein the cell frame has pre-embossed cell connector seats and a fusable pin fixing fixes the cell connectors in the cell connector seats, wherein the cell connectors each have a stamped rosette, and the fusable pin fixing is provided on the stamped rosette, a method for producing the cell module includes the steps of: embossing the cell connector seats, forming the cell frame from an injection molding, and stamping the cell connectors and inserting the cell connectors into the cell connector seats.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein after inserting the cell connectors, the cell connectors are displaced along the stamped rosette and into a final position, and the method further comprises the step of securing the cell connectors in the final position to the cell frame by the fusible pin fixing.
 9. In a cell module for a high-voltage battery including round cells polarized on one side, a common cell frame with cell connectors, the cell frame connecting the cell connectors in a predefined arrangement, and wherein the cell connectors are connected to the round cells and are configured as a low-voltage contact for the round cells, a method of using the cell module comprises the step of: measuring a current using the low-voltage contact, measuring a voltage using the low-voltage contact, or measuring a temperature using the low-voltage contact.
 10. A high-voltage battery comprising the cell module as claimed in claim
 1. 